INSIGHT on INSIGHT: Understanding Qualitative Insight

Research, or any set of data, can be classified as quantitative or qualitative depending on how the data was acquired.  Like primary, secondary and tertiary research, quantitative and qualitative research each has its place.  And each comes with pros and cons.

This article focuses on qualitative research.  Follow this link to the complementary article on quantitative research.

Qualitative research (“qual” for short) typically refers to person-to-person interactions designed to develop a deeper perspective on a topic based on the opinions of a small number of research subjects.  Mobile smartphone access now means qualitative research is not necessarily in-person research.  However, any qualitative project almost always includes some component of real-time engagement.

Research is typically conducted by a trained moderator who follows a discussion guide designed with fairly open-ended questions.  This allows respondents to provide detailed and unexpected answers that help reveal unknown underlying dynamics.  Typically, few questions can be answered with a yes/no response or by picking an answer from a pre-defined list of options.

Types of qualitative research include one-on-one interviews, focus groups, ethnographic engagements, and shadow shopping (a better form of a shopalong).

Qualitative research is typically more exploratory in nature and includes one or more of the following objectives:

Explore the meaning behind insights gained from quantitative research

Go through ideation exercises to identify new opportunities

Do tasks that require interaction with physical materials

Get reaction to various physical stimuli (i.e. branding, packaging or marketing concepts)

Ask questions where the answers are unknown, not obvious or require a period of reflection

Have participants tell stories

Learn more about how people think or act

Dig into the deeper why behind initial answers, including underlying emotions, motivations and values

Observe and experience events from the perspective of participants

Test for consensus or polarization on different perspectives

DIRECTIONAL, NOT FACTUAL, DATA

The results from qualitative research are non-numeric in nature and typically treated as directional, not factual, in nature.  The ‘data’ from this research resides in notes, transcripts, and participant-produced stimuli as well as raw audio or video files.  The summary of results is typically delivered in text- or image-heavy documents or highlight videos and often relies on verbatim or paraphrased quotes from participants as supporting data.

Due to the limited number of participants, more care is put into recruiting particular profiles and screening for honest articulation (the ability to provide a complete and detailed answer without embellishment or the desire for external approval).

Qualitative insight can be a very powerful discovery and learning tool, but it is less likely to be used as standalone justification for decision-making.  For this reason, qualitative insight should almost always be paired with quantitative insight.

Qualitative insight is also relatively expensive considering the limited amount of data it produces and the inability to reanalyze that data to answer future questions.  However, there are many needs (like those listed above) that can only be addressed through this type of research.

PROS OF QUALITATIVE RESEARCH

1. Participants can be more highly profiled
2. Research can be designed to allow for passive participation (i.e. observers behind a one-way mirror) or active participation (i.e. the client conducts some of the interviews)
3. Complex topics or questions can be explored, such as finding the intention, meaning or values that drive attitudes and behaviors
4. The design can be modified during the project to adjust to new information or provide iterative learning as some questions are answered and others are raised
5. Moderators can seek immediate clarification or further explanation of comments
6. There is flexibility to go down tangents or off-topic should participants introduce unexpected, but potentially valuable, comments
7. In-context person-to-person interaction and observation can reveal subtle details, explanations or descriptions participants are not even consciously aware of
8. It is easier for participants to verbally or visually share rich detail that would not be captured through other mediums
9. Group-based research allows for the added dynamic of participants reacting to and playing off of each other’s input
10. Participants can quickly filter through a lot of ideas or stimulus to identify what has the best potential for success
11. Moderators can summarize or paraphrase what they are learning to confirm with participants that it is accurate
12. Specific examples can be presented or incorporated in summaries to support conclusions (i.e. soundbites, pictures, etc.)

CONS OF QUALITATIVE RESEARCH

1. More lead time is typically required to design, execute, and summarize results
2. Recruitment and compensation of participants is typically expensive
3. There is always a risk of no-shows or poor quality participants
4. Client participation often requires the additional expense of time and money to travel to each location
5. There is significant room for interpretation, where multiple people listen to the same interview, but hear different things (often based on their personal bias)
6. Learning is more subjective in nature and consists of opinion and directional information, not fact
7. The presence of a moderator or observers can cause participants to act unnaturally or attempt to provide more rational or sophisticated answers (see Heisenberg Principle of Uncertainty)
8. The moderator must be good at controlling group dynamics to stay on-topic and avoid the introduction of bias or groupthink
9. The moderator must be very familiar with the subject matter and client’s desired learning to be able to ask probing unscripted questions
10. Research is typically conducted in a limited number of markets, potentially introducing geographic or regional bias
11. Care must be used when learning is projected or extrapolated to a larger population
12. Analysis and interpretation can be very time consuming
13. Some people may view the results as less credible or more prone to manipulation (i.e. use of selective sound bites to support a particular position)

Qualitative research could be viewed as having more limited uses and more risks when it is used.  However, there are numerous objectives that are appropriate, if not ideal, to be accomplished through a well-designed qualitative project.